Week 19: Your pregnancy
Your baby's growth: Feeling your little one's first movements
Welcome to the fifth month of pregnancy! This week your baby will grow to about 5 or 6 inches and will weigh about 7 ounces by week's end.
Your baby is working on protecting her skin as she develops a waxy substance called vernix caseosa, which will disappear at birth. Secreted by the glands in the skin this week, vernix caseosa protects the growing skin from becoming chapped or wrinkled from floating in amniotic fluid.
During this time you may feel your baby's first movements, called "quickening." If you've already had one child you'll probably feel those first flutterings about two weeks earlier than you did in your first pregnancy, mainly because you know what sensation to look for.
Your baby's teeth are also continuing to develop. Buds that will later produce permanent teeth are now forming behind the baby teeth buds.
What's happening with you
Dizziness. Recurrent dizziness is common and nothing to worry about. If you feel dizzy when you stand up quickly, this might be caused by gravity rapidly draining blood from the brain. Standing up slowly will help with this problem.
Also when you're lying down on your back, your uterus may compress important blood vessels, causing lowered blood pressure and increased dizziness. You can help combat this by sleeping on your left side, which can allow better digestive functioning and may help lessen swelling in your arms and legs.
- Blood sugar fluctuations. Pregnancy also affects your blood sugar level. Eating a balanced diet of small, frequent meals and not skipping meals can help regulate your blood sugar.
- Childbirth class. This might be a good week to check into childbirth education classes. If you're a first-time parent or you'd like a refresher course, a structured class can help prepare you for labor and delivery. You'll want to be finished with class no later than 37 weeks, when you'll be considered full-term. Labor could start at any time from then on.